


What's in a smile?

by Somniare



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Other, not quite fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 08:31:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1421572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somniare/pseuds/Somniare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Something's up</i>, Lewis thought, and determined to keep a close eye and ear on James.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's in a smile?

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to paperscribe for beta reading, and to my friends on LJ, Twitter and Facebook who helped me through a difficult period.

 

  
As he pushed through the glass doors to the car park, Lewis saw James sitting on the low wall talking to Laura.  While that wasn't an altogether unusual occurrence, the smile on James's face was.  Had Lewis been asked to describe it, he would have said it was... bashfully happy.  
  
Laura saw Lewis first and tapped James’s arm.  He was immediately all business, stubbing out his cigarette and standing as Lewis approached.  
  
“Sir?”  
  
Lewis smiled and waved a greeting to Laura.  “Sorry to interrupt, Laura, it’s the Wells case.  James, the missing brother’s turned up at the sister’s place.”  He handed James his jacket which he’d he gathered up on his way out of the office, checking the pockets for James’s wallet and warrant card as he went.  “He’s waiting for us there.”  
  
“Right, sir.”  
  
Laura also stood.  “I'd best get back inside before they send a search party.”  She moved closer to James and spoke quietly.  “I'm happy for you, James.”  
  
A blush rose and fell on James’s cheeks as he shrugged into his jacket and murmured, “Thank you.”  He turned towards Lewis, but didn't quite meet his eye.  
  
Lewis looked to Laura for a clue, but she’d already turned away and was heading for the doors.  
  
“Your car or mine, sir?”  
  
Lewis tossed his keys to James and followed him through the car park.  
  
 _Three 'sirs' in a row.  Something's up_ , Lewis thought, and determined to keep a close eye and ear on James.  
.  
.  
.  
Not only did Cameron Wells have no reason or incentive for murdering his brother, it transpired he’d been ‘enjoying the hospitality’ of the Met at the official time of death, giving Lewis and Hathaway little option but to drop him to the bottom of the suspect list.  Wells had also been unable to provide any further insights into who might want his brother out of the way.  Returning to the station, and disappointed by the lurching halt to their case, James dropped Lewis off and headed out to get lunch for both of them from their favourite Indian restaurant, by way of consolation.  Lewis was nearly back at their office when he saw Laura talking to Grainger.  On impulse, he waited in the corridor.  Laura turned in the opposite direction Lewis expected when she left Grainger's office.  
  
“Laura.”  Lewis broke into a slow trot, caught up and fell into step beside her.  “Have you got a minute?”  
  
“For you, Robbie, always.”  She smiled brightly.  
  
“This morning...”  Lewis immediately felt guilty.  He had no place prying into James's personal business, even though he felt like he was missing an important piece of the puzzle that was James Hathaway.  “I, ah... I was thinking we haven’t caught up for a while; how have you been?” he asked instead.  
  
She looked at him quizzically.  “I've been well.  Busy, as usual.  Thank you for asking.  And you?”  They ambled slowly along the corridor.  
  
“Ah, yeah, good.  All good.”  Lewis was feeling foolish now.  
  
Laura nodded and made a curious noise.  “So, Inspector Lewis, what did you really want to ask me?”  
  
Lewis exhaled heavily.  He should have known he wouldn't have fooled Laura.  He shook his head.  “Something that's probably none of my business.  Forget about it.”  
  
Laura hooked her arm around his and leaned in close.  
  
“ _This morning_ , you said.  It’s not me you want to know about, is it?”  
  
Lewis glanced at her, considered his options – he could still walk away and preserve James’s privacy – and shook his head.  _In for a penny..._  
  
“James...”  Laura huffed and gave a small shake of her head, her expression unreadable.  “He’s said he’s going to tell you in his own time, so it’s not my place to say anything.  He's just a little... it's all still a bit new at the moment, I think.  Give him a little more time.”  
  
“But you know something.”  Lewis winced at the peevish tone in his voice.  Bloody hell, he had no reason to feel jealous of Laura but that's exactly what it was.  Laura, it seemed, had reached the same conclusion.  
  
“Robbie.”  Laura came to a dead stop, dragging Lewis to a halt.  She spoke gently.  “James didn't exactly volunteer any information.  I bumped into him at Tesco and the contents of his trolley were... a little revealing.”  She patted Lewis’s arm.  “All you need to know is he's fine, and there's nothing for you to be concerned about.”  
  
Lewis believed her – she’d never knowingly mislead him about James – but it didn’t stop him wondering what had put that smile on James’s face, or caused the blush.

 

*****

 

A couple of days later Lewis was still none the wiser about James, but at least their current case had been resolved, with the victim’s ex-wife warming a bunk in the custody suite.  Returning from updating Innocent on their progress, he saw Laura go into the office he shared with James.  When she didn’t come out immediately, he realised James must have returned from reviewing the CCTV evidence with Gurdip.  Lewis stood beside a currently vacant desk and pretended to be interested in a file as he weighed up what he was going to do next.  With a soft groan he admitted defeat and approached the office slowly, listening carefully as he did so.  He stopped when he realised he could see both Laura and James reflected in the glass opposite the open door.  They were both seated on the edge of James’s desk, Laura’s feet dangling while James’s stretched out in front of him.  
  
“I never thought it could be like this.  She's taken me by surprise,” he heard James say fondly.  “She's so... physically affectionate.  It was a bit... I wasn’t completely sure what to do the first few nights, but now I really look forward to being with her.”  
  
Laura rocked against him.  “And what does your governor think of Mia?”  
  
James ducked his head.  “I still haven't told him yet.  After I...  well, you know.”  
  
“You'll have to say something soon.  He knows something's up, and he's bound to figure it out eventually.”  Laura reached across and picked something off James's collar.  “Especially if you go around with the trace evidence on you.”  
  
Lewis thought he must be slipping.  He hadn't seen anything out of place on or with James today.  But then again, they had arrived in separate cars that morning, and had been working on separate tasks most of the day.  Lewis headed for the break room.  He needed a cuppa and some time to think.  
  
 _Mia?  Bugger_ , he thought as he stirred his tea. _James has got himself a girlfriend._ He knew James kept his personal life close but he couldn’t understand how he hadn’t noticed anything.  Some detective he was.  Lewis tried to feel happy for James, and not hurt that James hadn't yet told him.  He failed on both counts.  He really thought they were closer than that.  
.  
.  
.  
The last thing Lewis wanted was for James to know he knew.  If the lad wanted to keep his relationship secret for now, Lewis had to trust he had his reasons.  He was thankful the rest of their day was taken up with finalising the case, leaving them little time for socialising.  What he couldn’t avoid was the post-case drink after work.  Not going would have raised questions, and even if James didn’t voice them, someone else would.  
  
Lewis had just finished telling James about Lyn’s last phone call when a man Lewis didn't recognise waved at James from the bar.  James waved back but, if Lewis read his body language correctly, it was more from an automatic response than any real desire to communicate.  The stranger wandered over, presumably accepting James’s wave as an invitation, and James’s face fell into the neutral expression he often hid behind, leaving Lewis no further clues as to the nature of his relationship with the newcomer.  However, James was studiously avoiding looking at Lewis, and that told Lewis James didn’t want him finding out.  
  
“Mr Hathaway?”  The stranger smiled cheerily and placed his hand on the back of an empty chair.    
  
“Dr Phelps.”  James’s smile – no, grimace, Lewis decided – was fleeting, and his hand tightened around his glass.  
  
“I thought it was you.”  Phelps made no further move to sit down and some of the tension left James.  Lewis observed them both carefully as Phelps continued.  “How're things going with Mia?  Has she settled in yet?”  
  
Lewis’s heart lurched.  _Settled in?  She’s living with him?  Bloody hell, does Laura know that?_   Phelps prattled on, oblivious to Lewis’s disquiet.  
  
“Oh, what am I saying, of course she has; I could see from the start you were going to be a good match, and it was clear she trusted and adored you.  You have no idea how pleased I was when you said you'd–”  
  
James suddenly leapt up, startling Lewis and the stranger.  “God, is that the time?  I have to...  I have to be somewhere.  Please excuse me, Dr Phelps.  Sir.”  
  
Faint alarms started ringing in Lewis's head as James grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off, and it wasn’t simply the rudeness of James’s departure.  
  
By the time Lewis had regrouped and donned his own jacket, Dr Phelps, clearly offended by James’s reaction, had walked off, and James was gone.  Lewis started to drive home but halfway there he pulled over.  He might not have noticed any changes in James but he was certain James would eventually work out he knew more about Mia than a name.  He gave up trying to work out why James had acted the way he did – sometimes there was no working out James – and though while it really was none of his business until James chose to tell him, there was something he wanted to, felt he needed to, say to James.  Lewis turned his car around.  
  
He knocked firmly on James’s door before remembering what Phelps had said.  _Buggering hell!  What if this Mia answers?_ He took a step back, preparing to leave, just as the door opened a few inches.  Half of James’s face peered out at him; he looked surprised to see Lewis there.  James glanced back into the flat.  
  
 _Christ_ , Lewis thought, _I’m interrupting him– them._   This was a mistake, and the sooner he left the better.  
  
“Sir?”  James looked...  Lewis couldn’t tell.  _Damn the man._   Concluding it would only look worse if he left now, Lewis took a deep breath and began.  
  
“Look, I know you've said nothing to me and it's none of my business, but...”  _Spit it out, man._   “I...  I just want you to know I’m... it’s good that you're happy, that she makes you happy.  I'm sorry I disturbed you.  I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”  Lewis turned and left, sorely tempted to run back to his car.  
  
There was a soft click and hurried steps, and then James grabbed Lewis’s arm.  
  
“No.  Wait.  I'm the one who should be sorry.  I’ve been a bloody idiot and I should have told you sooner.”  
  
“You don't need to tell me–”  
  
“I do!”  James was forceful, almost angry, but Lewis could see it was directed inwards, James against James.  “I don't want...  You're more than my boss, you're my friend, my best friend, the one person I should be able to share my happiness with, but...  It was only supposed to be for a few days, and then I... grew attached.”  
  
 _A few days?  Grew attached?  What the...?_  Lewis grew more confused as James continued.  
  
“I'd seen her from time to time, wandering around the street over a period of a few weeks and assumed the family had recently moved in.  Turns out they'd left, leaving her to fend for herself.  Some copper I am not to have noticed.  Then a couple of weeks ago I found her hunched down beside my car.  She was wet and dirty and crying and–”  
  
“Bloody hell, James!”  Lewis pulled his arm free from James’s grip.  “I know you would have meant well, but you can't just take in someone off the street.  There are services for that, people who have to be notif– “  
  
“Who said anything about a person?”  James was horrified.  “Mia's a cat,” he said quietly.  Lewis’s jaw dropped.  James rattled on, his words pouring out.  “I didn't say anything at the time because I had no plans to keep her.  The bloke at the pub, Dr Phelps, he’s a vet.  I took Mia there to have her checked over, and after he gave her a clean bill of health he asked if I’d be willing to be a foster carer, just until her owner was found – she had a name tag and she wasn’t a kitten, so he assured me she’d be fine on her own in my flat, and she has been, and it would probably only be a few days – but she grew on me, and when we discovered she’d been abandoned I decided to adopt her myself, but I still couldn't tell you because I'd teased you about adopting Monty, only now I understood why you did, and then I ran into Laura and she thought I was stocking up on supplies for Monty and made a joke, so I told her and she asked if you knew, which you didn’t, and she said I should tell you but by then I wondered how it would look that I hadn’t told you earlier and... well...”  James finally paused for breath.  
  
“Cat?  Not a girlfriend?”  A surge of relief rushed through Lewis.  He’d think about what that implied later.  
  
“You thought I...?”  James floundered.  “I’d never... I don’t...”  His mouth snapped shut.  
  
“I didn’t know what to think, y’numpty,” Lewis said softly, as relief gave way to fondness for his kind-hearted friend.  A thought struck him.  “It clears up the mystery of why you suddenly became Monty’s new best friend.”  
  
James ducked his head.  “I didn’t think you’d noticed.  You didn’t say anything.”  
  
“Not notice Monty not leaving your side?”  Lewis raised his brow.  “Ah, I wasn’t really sure what to make of it at the time.  Decided in the end it was just Monty being his contrary self.”  
  
James huffed softly.  “I’m sorr–”  A plaintive meow came from behind James’s closed door, and Lewis marvelled at the soft, affectionate expression that fell on James’s face.  
  
James gave Lewis the same shy smile Lewis had seen through the glass doors a few mornings earlier.  “Would you like to meet her?” he asked.  
  
Lewis laid his hand lightly against James’s arm and returned his smile.  “Thought you’d never ask, lad.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> This story owes its existence to barcardivodka, whose muse wanted James to get a girlfriend, and had themselves posted a prompt in the 2013 Lewis Summer Challenge requesting 'Hathaway gets adopted ...by an animal (cat, dog, rabbit, hedgehog, whatever)'. My rather wayward muse took over from there.


End file.
